The 'OG' online map platform, MapQuest, says it won't change the name of Lake Ontario
MapQuest has publicly stated it will not rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' despite an executive order from President Donald Trump. The company created a satirical tool allowing users to generate their own joke labels for the body of water.
Why it matters
The story illustrates the intersection of corporate branding, political satire, and the role of digital platforms in shaping geographic information.
Lake Ontario has found itself at the center of a fight between Washington and Ottawa. Cole Burston / AFP via Getty Images Trump's attempt to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" drew the attention of an internet icon. MapQuest, the first online map platform and precursor to Google Maps, won't be following Trump's lead. It also made a tool to generate screenshots with joke labels, writing "Lake Are We Doing This Again?" The first-ever mapping website is adamant: It won't change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" despite President Donald Trump's executive order. MapQuest's X account shared a screenshot of the body of water on Thursday, saying: "We're not changing it." The post received over 70,000 likes. None of the account's 24 posts in July got more than two. "Shocking to see you're still alive," Eric Trump responded.
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